FACT SHEET #3, FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2012 NOVEMBER 8, 2011 SOUTHEAST ASIA – FLOODS KEY DEVELOPMENTS Floodwaters continue to recede in Thailand’s northern and central provinces as water moves southward toward the Gulf of Thailand. Moving floodwaters have inundated some new areas on the outskirts of Bangkok and surrounding provinces, although most locations in inner Bangkok remain dry and unaffected. In addition, lower tides in the Gulf of Thailand continue to facilitate a decrease of water levels in the Chao Phraya River, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA). On November 5, the BMA recorded maximum water levels in the river at 7.1 feet—down from approximately 8.5 feet reported in late October. Government of Thailand (GoT) officials have completed a four-mile sandbag wall in northern Bangkok in preparation for the high tides forecasted for mid-November, which are expected to be much lower than the peak tides that occurred in October. In early November, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) launched a $498,000 Special Operation to provide one month of logistical support to the GoT, including supplying 120 outboard boat motors to the GoT Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). To support local responders, USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) is working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to provide operational assistance, including boats and motors. On October 24, the U.N. approved the allocation of nearly $4 million in U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund assistance for food, agriculture, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs in Cambodia’s flood-affected regions. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE Country Number Affected Number Evacuated Deaths Source Thailand 2.9 million 113,000 people 527 GoT – November 8, 2011 Cambodia 1.6 million 46,400 families 247 GoC1 – October 28, 2011 Vietnam 700,000 6,500 families 59 GoVN2 – October 18, 2011 Laos 430,000 Not available 34 U.N. – October 13, 2011 Philippines 4.3 million 65,000 people 111 GPH3 – October 19, 2011 Burma 26,000 Not available 106 U.N. – October 27, 2011 TOTAL FY 2012 USAID/OFDA HUMANITARIAN FUNDING FOR THE SOUTHEAST ASIA FLOODS Total USAID/OFDA Assistance to Thailand $1,115,482 Total USAID/OFDA Assistance to Cambodia $1,521,807 Total USAID/OFDA Assistance to Vietnam $100,000 Total USAID/OFDA Assistance to Southeast Asia $2,737,289 Context The cumulative effects of four tropical storms and heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding across Southeast Asia, including in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, and the Philippines, resulting in approximately 1,100 deaths and affecting nearly 10 million people across the region. USAID/OFDA maintains a regional office for East Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, and staff are monitoring humanitarian conditions in coordination with other U.S. Government (USG) agencies, host 1 Government of Cambodia (GoC) 2 Government of Vietnam (GoVN) 3 Government of the Philippines (GPH) 1 governments, and relief agencies throughout the region. USAID/OFDA staff in Thailand continue to conduct assessments of affected areas to identify humanitarian needs and determine whether additional assistance is required. Thailand Current Situation On November 8, DDPM reported that more than two months of flooding has resulted in 527 deaths and left two people missing—an increase of 143 reported deaths since November 1. DDPM reports that floodwaters are currently affecting approximately 2.9 million people across 24 of Thailand’s 77 provinces. Approximately 38 previously flood-affected provinces have entered the recovery phase. Water levels continue to decline in Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Phichit, and Nakhon Nayok provinces in central Thailand, and populations have begun returning to their houses in Ang Thong Province due to reduced water levels, according to the U.N. According to local media, floodwaters have subsided in most parts of Ayutthaya—one of the provinces most affected by floods—enabling people to return to home areas and begin recovery activities. In Nakhon Sawan Province, all main roads are now passable, and floodwaters have receded in all but four districts. Officials in Nakhon Sawan continue to pump water out of flooded areas. To date, central Bangkok has not experienced significant flooding and most locations in the inner city remain dry. Through funding from USAID/OFDA, IOM continues to provide operational assistance for local responders. USAID/OFDA assessments have indicated that local emergency personnel are meeting the immediate needs of flood-affected individuals, with no life-threatening conditions observed. Bangkok and Surrounding Provinces On November 7, the GoT Flood Relief Operations Center (FROC) agreed to provide 24 additional water pumps to Bangkok authorities—doubling the BMA’s capacity to drain floodwaters from eastern Bangkok—to further reduce water levels in the city. According to the Bangkok governor, BMA officials will likely be able to remove water from all main roads within two weeks and side roads in approximately one month. Water run-off from upstream locations continues to advance slowly into new locations in northern, eastern, and western suburbs of Bangkok, resulting in the issuance of evacuation warnings for parts of Chatuchak District in north-central Bangkok on November 4. On November 6 and 7, the Bangkok governor issued additional evacuation warnings for all of Khlong Sam Wa District in eastern Bangkok and Chatuchak, Phasi Charoen, and Nong Khaem districts in western Bangkok. In total, evacuation warnings are in place for all or part of 19 of Bangkok’s 50 districts. According to the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA), tap water quality in Bangkok remains safe and in compliance with standards. As of November 7, the MWA continued to produce sufficient water for the Bangkok Metropolitan Area and reported that it had strengthened dykes at the Prapa Canal to prevent flood water from entering the water supply. USG Assessments On November 6 and 7, USAID/OFDA staff conducted assessments of areas west of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and Nonthaburi Province. USAID/OFDA staff noted that water levels had decreased by more than 3 feet in most areas visited, compared to assessments conducted from October 29 to 31. In areas where floodwaters remained, USAID/OFDA staff found that pumps were successfully draining water seeping under flood walls and sandbag barriers, as well as from drainage pipes. USAID/OFDA staff observed that areas in Thon Buri and Bangkok Noi Districts and Nonthaburi Province remain under approximately 3 feet of water but observed that water levels continue to decrease. Due to reduced water levels, vehicles were able to reach parts of Bangkok that were previously only accessible by boat. In Chatuchak District, USAID/OFDA staff noted that flooding had increased slightly—to approximately 1 foot— along the roadway but noted that the area remained accessible by cars and other vehicles. In all areas visited, USAID/OFDA staff noted ongoing relief operations and did not identify any unmet humanitarian needs. In Bangkok Noi District, USAID/OFDA staff visited a temple hosting evacuees from the surrounding area, observing sufficient supplies and no shortages of food or drinking water. To date, the majority of flood-affected families remain in their houses. USG Assistance 2 In response to an October 7 disaster declaration, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $1.1 million in assistance to augment emergency response activities, including $100,000 in immediate assistance to the Thai Red Cross Society (TRCS) and $1 million to IOM in support of the DDPM. USAID/OFDA also supported the deployment of an Incident Command System (ICS) specialist to work with Thai emergency responders. ICS is a pre-defined chain of command that helps response personnel collaborate more effectively during emergency responses. The recent deployment builds on previous and ongoing USAID disaster risk reduction initiatives, including ICS training, in Thailand. At the request of the GoT, the ICS specialist was embedded with emergency personnel at the FROC to conduct a real-time evaluation of flood response operations. Cambodia Current Situation As of October 28, monsoon-and tropical storm-related flooding had impacted 18 of Cambodia’s 24 provinces, resulting in 247 deaths and affecting approximately 1.6 million people. November 3 media reports indicate that nearly 60 percent of the more than 46,300 families who originally evacuated had returned home due to receding floodwaters along the Mekong River and in other parts of the country. However, few returns have occurred in the Kampong Thom and Kampong Chhnang—the most-affected provinces. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that floods destroyed more than 716,000 acres of rice paddy, representing approximately 28 percent of the 2.5 million acres of rice planted this season. Relief agencies anticipate that the loss of crops will significantly impact vulnerable households’ livelihoods and food security, as most flood-affected families rely on agricultural production for both food and income. USG Assistance In response to an October 7 disaster declaration, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $1.5 million in assistance for flood-affected populations in Cambodia. This funding includes $800,000 to Save the Children/U.S. (SC/US) and more than $720,000 to World Vision to address WASH-related humanitarian needs and provide economic recovery activities, including cash-for-work and infrastructure rehabilitation, to flood- affected populations. The WASH commodities will benefit up to 19,500 flood-affected individuals in Kampong Thom, Kandal, and Kampong Cham provinces, while the economic recovery activities will target nearly 30,000 flood-affected individuals in Kampong Cham. In addition, USAID/OFDA-funded agriculture and food security activities in Kampong Thom and Kandal provinces are targeted to approximately 27,000 flood-affected individuals. USAID/OFDA continues to monitor humanitarian conditions in flood-affected regions, in coordination with USAID/Cambodia, the U.S.